Only an excerpt but, better than nothing...
Rec. live at"Teatro Ventaglio Smeraldo", Milan, Italy,
on September 20, 2009 (radio broadcast)
Steve Swallow,electric bass
Carla Bley,Hammond B3
Chris Cheek,tenor sax
Steve Cardenas,guitar
1. Track #1 (18:54)
2. Track #2 (05:11)
3. Track #3 (07:02)
Total Time 31:08
Following Riccardo's veeery looong post, I thought it was time for a short one. The Molde international jazz festival just completed its 50th festival yesterday. Started in 1961, it was been running every year since then and despite the 50th anniversary strictly speaking being next year, this year's festival marked the actual anniversary. Early yesterday, a Break of Day in Molde concert at 7 in the morning had Artist in Residence Nils Petter Molvær waking up the crowd with electronic composer Geir Jenssen, also known as Biosphere, joining him on stage.
A fixture over the year has been Karin Krog. She appeared at the very first one back in 1961 and was of course back at this year's festival to perform the above song among many others. The inspiration for the tune was the very early morning mood after a long after hours jam session in a mountain cabin above town. The tune, Carla Bley's "Ida Lupino", has words added by Karin Krog to describe the fresh early morning vibe. The B-side is a straight blues, "Blues Eyes", with the presence of Ted Curson on trumpet in the near-all Scandinavian crew.
Above is the front and back of the single out on the Sonet label back in 1969. For many years it was only available in this format, though the recent re-release of "Joy" has these two tracks added to the original set. As a little bonus, I've added the Paul Bley version of "Ida Lupino" off his "Closer" album which has Steve Swallow and Barry Altschul on bass and drums, respectively.
Line-up:
Karin Krog, vocals
Ted Curson, trumpet
Elisabeth Sønstevold, harp
Bernt Egerbladh, organ
Arild Andersen, bass
Jon Christensen, drums
This will be a very long post : more than five hours of music!
In this recording i made some time ago, "The Little Giant" is just
in fine form and wonderfully supported by the rhythmic section.
Rec. live at "Capolinea", Milan, Italy, on February 24, 1980
(mics recording)
Johnny Griffin,tenor sax
Ronnie Mathews,piano
Ray Drummond,bass
Kenny Washington,drums
1. Yours Is My Heart Alone [L.Herzer/F.Lehàr/B.F.Lohener] (15:51)
2. Fifty-Six [J.Griffin] (13:55)
3. Soft And Furry [J.Griffin] (24:00)
4. Unknown (18:33)
5. Susanita [R.Drummond] (15:41)
Total Time 1:28:02
What with the World Cup in football finale a day away, I thought it was about time to sneak in some South African music here. Another good reason is that this one was requested on a jazz-related mailing list. So therefore ...
This was the final installment of the Brotherhood of Breath, recorded at the Banlieues Bleues festival in France in 1989. The previous year had seen the release of "Country Cooking", a studio recording with many of the players on this live concert. By the late 80s, the only remaining from the original BoB was Harry Beckett, apart from McGregor, of course. A couple of tunes from that record was carried over to this cd, the title track the most obvious one.
An added delight was the appearance of Archie Shepp who contributed a couple of his own tunes and can be heard on tenor throughout the whole concert. A worthy replacement for Dudu Pukwana, one might say, though BoB without Dudu was not quite the same. The South African influence is quite strong on the first four tracks, while the latter three veers into more standard jazz territory and the penultimate one with the added treat of some Sheppian vocals culminating in a jouyous and swinging concert through and through. The first and fourth tracks features the vocals of Sonti Mndebélé, a fresh member adding a touch of sisterhood. Finally, the album features a piano very much out of tune. A pianist's curse, I suppose.
1. Sangena (Chris McGregor/Sonti Mndebélé)
2. Mayebuye (Chris McGregor)
3. Country Cooking (Chris McGregor)
4. Jikele (Traditional)
5. Presentation
6. Steam (Archie Shepp)
7. Sweet as Honey (Chris McGregor)
8. Bessie Smith's Blues (Archie Shepp)
The full line-up can be found in the scans with the attached files.
Here are a couple of photos from Maxine McGregor's book:
A concert that circulates between traders and partially (5 tracks)
in a DVD recently placed in commerce : this is the recording i made
from the Italian radio.
Rec. live in Terni (Umbria Jazz '78), Italy, on July 19, 1978
(radio broadcast)
Bill Evans,piano
Marc Johnson,bass
Philly Joe Jones,drums
Lee Konitz,alto saxophone (7,8,9)
1. Re: Person I Knew [B.Evans] (04:24)
2. The Peacocks [J.Rowles] (06:10)
3. Theme From M.A.S.H. [J.Mandel] (04:13)
4. Midnight Mood [B.Raleigh/J.Zawinul] (05:12)
5. But Beautiful [J.Burke/J.Van Heusen] (04:00)
6. Nardis (inc.) [M.Davis] (07:16)
7. Solar [M.Davis] (08:36)
8. You Don't Know What Love Is [G.DePaul/D.Raye] (04:04)
9. All The Things You Are (inc.) [O.Hammerstein/J.Kern] (04:05)
Total Time 48:04
For all the enthusiasts of Paul Bley.
Rec. live at "Teatro ai Parchi di Nervi", Genoa, Italy,
on July 31, 1996 (mix recording)
Paul Bley,piano
1. Track #1 (16:31)
2. Confirmation (05:26)
3. Track #3 (07:57)
4. Turnaround (09:36)
5. Track #5 (06:44)
6. Latin Genetics (06:08)
Total Time 52:24
A classic P.Bley Trio recorded just 23 years ago.
Rec. live at "Villa Imperiale", Genoa, Italy, on July 5,
1987 (mix recording)
Paul Bley,piano
Furio Di Castri,bass
Paul Motian,drums
1. Track #1 (13:45)
2. Track #2 (10:33)
3. Track #3 (08:46)
4. Ida Lupino (05:47)
5. Track #5 (16:07)
6. Track #6 (03:55)
7. When Will The Blues Leave? (03:52)
Total Time 1:02:49
Again, from the German school, two great improvisers.
Rec. live at "Teatro Tenda", Padua, Italy, on February 2, 1978
(mics recording)
Günter Christmann,trombone & double bass
Detlef Schönenberg,percussions
1. Track #1 (07:40)
2. Track #2 (09:45)
3. Track #3 (11:52)
4. Track #4 (05:06)
5. Track #5 (13:07)
6. Track #6 (07:31)
7. Track #7 (02:45)
8. Track #8 (07:40)
Total Time 1:05:31
Thirty years later...
Rec. live at "Museo delle marionette Antonio Pasqualino", Palermo, Italy,
on November 7, 2009 (radio broadcast)
Alex von Schlippenbach,piano
Jean-Luc Cappozzo/Axel Dörner/Manfred Schoof,trumpets
Johannes Bauer/Christof Thewes,trombones
Evan Parker/Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky/Gerd Dudek/
Daniele D’Agaro,reeds
Paul Lovens/Paul Lytton,drums
1. Improvisation [inc.] (52:20)
The opening concert at the "8th Moers Jazz Festival" with a great
edition of the GUO.
Rec. live at the "8th Moers Jazz Festival", Moers, Germany,
on Friday, June 1st, 1979 (mics recording)
Alexander von Schlippenbach,piano,conductor
Kenny Wheeler/Enrico Rava/Mark Charig,trumpets
Albert Mangelsdorff/Paul Rutherford/Gunter Christmann,trombones
Evan Parker/Gerd Dudek,reeds
Tristan Honsinger,cello
Bob Stewart,tuba
Buschi Niebergall,bass
Paul Lovens,drums
1. Improvisation (50:31)
2. Flat Fleet [E.Rava] (11:46)
3. The Forge [A.von Schlippenbach] (09:05)
Total Time 1:11:23
"At first blush, adding Roswell Rudd to a group of native West African
musicians might seem, well, stretched. Surprisingly, though, it proves
a remarkably impressive combination -- in large part due to the simple
melodies, the opportunity for the trombonist to stretch out, and the
quality of the band."
Rec. live at "Club La Palma", Rome, Italy, on June 18, 2004
(radio broadcast)
Roswell Rudd,trombone
Mamadou Diabate,kora
Mawuena Kodjovi,guitar
Lassana Diabate,balafon
Henry Paul Schroy,bass
Mar Gueye,djembe
John Betsch,drums
01. Bamako [R.Rudd] (6:18)
02. Announcement By Roswell Rudd (1:08)
03. Jackie-ing [T.Monk] (7:15)
04. Destiny [M.Diabate] (10:14)
05. Striking Up The Band By Roswell Rudd (1:56)
06. Rosmani [R.Rudd] (5:49)
07. Demoncan [M.Diabate] (8:18)
08. Johanna [R.Rudd] (14:04)
09. Malicool [R.Rudd] (11:12)
10. For Toumani (Diabate) [R.Rudd] (7:04)
Total Time 1:13:22
Another great Taylor from "Ilario's" collection : a concert organized
by the "Accademia Filarmonica Romana" (an association founded in
1821 for promoting chamber and symphonic music), a suite in three
parts titled by the same Taylor "The Dance Thru Numbers".
Highly recommended.
Rec. live at "Teatro Olimpico, Rome, Italy, on May 16, 2002
(mix recording)
Cecil Taylor,piano
1. The Dance Thru Numbers (Nedless That Eternally Vanish)
[C. Taylor] (56:02)
Lewis confirms of having a great talent as a composer for large
ensemble with these pieces composed from 1976 to 2009.
Thanks also to a week of rehearsal with the PMJO, the final result is,
in my opinion, remarkable.
Rec. live at "Auditorium - Parco della Musica (Sala G.Petrassi)", Rome,
Italy, on May 27, 2010 (radio broadcast)
George Lewis,conductor,trombone
Miya Masaoka,koto
+
PMJO - Parco della Musica Jazz Orchestra :
Gianni Oddi/Maurizio Giammarco/Gianni Savelli/Marco Conti/
Elvio Ghigliordini,reeds,flutes
Fernando Brusco/Claudio Corvini/Giancarlo Ciminelli/Francesco Lento,trumpets
Mario Corvini/Massimo Pirone/Luca Giustozzi/Roberto Pecorelli, trombones
Riccardo Fassi,piano
Luca Pirozzi,bass & electric bass
Pietro Iodice,drums
1. Hello/Goodbye (22:50)
2. The Chicken Skin II (23:57)
3. Fractals (09:14)
4. Transcription Of Fred Anderson's Solos (11:59)
5. Triangle (15:43)
6. Shuffle (14:22)
Total Time 1:38:07
All compositions by G.Lewis
A short supplement to the previous post.
Rec. live at "Loft", Munchen, Germany, on September 28, 1979
(mics recording)
Sunny Murray,drums
1. Sunny Solo (17:44)
An extemporary trio, even if in those years, the collaboration between
the two Murray was rather frequent.
Maybe Wallofsound (the greatest living authority about D.Murray)
can give an help for naming the unknown tracks.
Rec. live in Alassio, Italy, on September 9, 1979
(mics recording)
David Murray,tenor sax
Wilbur Morris,bass
Sunny Murray,drums
1. German Dilemma (22:13)
2. Unknown (12:46)
3. Unknown (07:08)
4. Unknown (11:28)
5. Sweet Lovely (07:35)
Total Time 1:01:12
After thirty years "the most exciting of the saxophone quartet"
is still active and in excellent form.
Rec. live at "Conservatorio Cantelli", Novara, Italy, on May 28,
2009 (radio broadcast)
Larry Ochs,tenor sax
Steve Adams,alto sax
Jon Raskin,baritone sax
Bruce Ackley,soprano sax
(first set only) :
1. Flower Power [J.Raskin] (05:37)
2. The Blocks [S.Adams] (06:01)
3. Graphic nr.38 [S.Adams] (07:35)
4. Juke Box Mambo [J.Raskin] (05:20)
5. Radar [ROVA] (06:01)
6. Juke Box Afro-Balkan [J.Raskin] (05:35)
Total Time 36:11
A recording i made when "the most exciting of the saxophone quartet"
was still at the beginning of its brilliant career.
Rec. live at "Auditorium S.Francesco al Corso", Verona, Italy,
on November 28, 1979 (mics recording)
Jon Raskin,alto,baritone & soprano sax,bass clarinet
Larry Ochs,tenor,alto,baritone & sopranino sax
Andrew Voight,alto & soprano sax,flute
Bruce Ackley,soprano & alto sax,clarinet
1. Flamingo Horizons (11:19)
2. Unknown (05:25)
3. Unknown (09:37)
4. Unknown (10:48)
5. Unknown (09:52)
6. Unknown (10:06)
7. Unknown (04:25)
8. Unknown (16:08)
9. Daredevils (05:41)
Total Time 1:23:26
For serviceton
Fake album n. 6!
A classic group for summer festivals (and we are on the eve
of the summer festivals!), but the interaction between Konitz
and Farmer is remarkable.
Rec. live at "Villa Imperiale ", Genoa, Italy, on July 8, 1981
(mix recording)
Lee Konitz,alto sax
Art Farmer,trumpet,flugelhorn
Ross Tompkins,piano
Milt Hinton,bass
Shelly Manne,drums
1. It’s You [L.Konitz] (09:21)
(Konitz/Farmer/Tompkins/Hinton/Manne)
2. A Minor Blues [L.Konitz] (09:41)
(Konitz/Farmer/Tompkins/Hinton/Manne)
3. In A Sentimental Mood [D.Ellington] (05:26)
(Farmer/Tompkins/Hinton/Manne)
4. Someday My Prince Will Come [F.Churchill/L.Morey] (05:29)
(Tompkins/Hinton/Manne)
5. What’s New [J.Burke/B.Haggart] (05:29)
(Konitz/Tompkins/Hinton/Manne)
6. Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho [Traditional] (03:28)
(Hinton)
7. Cherokee [R.Noble] (06:48)
(Konitz/Farmer/Manne)
8. Passport [C.Parker] (11:10)
(Konitz/Farmer/Tompkins/Hinton/Manne)
9. Donna Lee [C.Parker] (07:31)
(Konitz/Farmer/Tompkins/Hinton/Manne)
Total Time 1:04:26
I've been pondering over this record for a while. I thought it looked good on paper, so when the chance came to get a copy, I found to my delight that it sounded good in practice as well. This was, I believe, a one-off event, so I doubt whether they have met later, but if they have, I would be interested to know.
This is a fine addition to the catalogue of European free jazzy big bands, suffice it to mention Globe Unity Orchestra, Willem Breuker Kollektief, Instant Composers Pool and the venerable Brotherhood of Breath. Breuker is here and so is Louis Moholo, the drummer with the BoB and the later Dedication Orchestra. The original version of "Khanya" is the opening tune on Moholo's "Spirit Rejoice" release on Ogun in 1978, later rereleased on cd and which should be part of any serious jazz collection. Yep, that important.
The title hints at circus music, and the burlesque playfulness of the Kollektief and the Brotherhood are on display with merry themes and raucous collective improvisation with the expert team of Bednarek and Moholo keeping a rock-solid rhythmic backbone. Listen especially to Moholo's "Khanya", a ferocious workout over the majestic theme, but there's also Breuker's "Another flat jungle", a circus-like theme giving way to beautiful ensemble work and a Breuker solo firing up Bednarek and Moholo behind him.
All in all, an ultra-fine record and on a label which I have rather associated with Dvorak and Smetana! It was later rereleased on the FMP label, but this is taken from the original Czechoslovakian release. By the way, if there are any followers from the Czech Republic or Slovakia, it would be interesting to know what the sleeve notes say. They are attached to this post in the comments section.
Basic facts:
Interjazz IV
Jirí Stivín, flute, whistle, alto saxophone;
Trevor Watts, soprano and alto saxophones;
Rüdiger Carl, tenor saxophone;
Alan Skidmore, tenor saxphone;
Willem Breuker, alto and tenor saxophones, bass clarinet;
Jarmo Sermilä, trumpet, synthesizer;
Radu Malfatti, trombone;
Albert Mangelsdorff, trombone;
Tony Oxley, violin;
Antonín Matzner, synthesizer;
Rudolf Dasek, guitar;
Jacek Bednarek, bass;
Louis Moholo, drums;
Günter Sommer, percussion.
1.Stary Dobry Cirkus/Good old circus (Albert Mangelsdorff)(06.15)
2.Znameni dechu (Jirí Stivin)(09.10)
3.Dalsi Rovna Dzungle/Another flat jungle (Willem Breuker) (06.00)
4.Hudci (Rudolf Dasek)(08.55)
5.Prolinani (Antonin Matzner)(07.05)
6.Svetlo/Khanya (Louis T. Moholo)(05.00)
Recorded 13/15 March 1979 in Prague.
N. 5 is here
Rounding off The Trio sessions here, this is another live recording, prior to the one in Altena we posted before. As with the other Trio recordings, tunes tend to run together, so I'm putting up the playlist as it was announced at the end. A commenter at the Dime torrent web site suggested an alternative set of tunes for the long medley. The only tune in common is "Silvercloud", from the first double album, which I can confirm as well. But I very much doubt whether "Oh Dear" was in that set.
At the time, it was the John Surman group, later changing name to The Trio, so for the sake of consistency, I think we'll settle for The Trio for the heading.
John Surman Group
Berliner Jazztage, Philharmonie, Berlin/Germany, 7th November 1969
John Surman, ss, barsax, bcl
Barre Phillips, b
Stu Martin, dr
setlist:
01 intros by John O'Brien-Docker and John Surman
02 FF - Silver Cloud - Caractacus
03 Yugoslavian Dance
alternatively:
02 Unknown title 3:29
Porte des Lilas (Cooke) 5:22
Silvercloud (Phillips) 6:43
Oh Dear (Surman) 5:29
Unknown title 2:44
The "in the tradition" Blythe's quartet taped live at the
Newport Festival.
Rec. live at the "Newport Jazz Festival", on July 1980
(radio broadcast)
Arthur Blythe,alto sax
John Hicks,piano
Fred Hopkins,bass
Steve McCall,drums
1. Miss Nancy (16:20)
2. Slidin' Through (14:23)
3. Misty (09:00)
4. Odessa (11:09)
5. Break Tune (06:51)
Total Time 57:45
All compositions by A.Blythe except 3 [E.Garner]
What can i add about Max ?
Rec. live at "Teatro Ciak", Milan, Italy, on May 4, 1978
(mics recording)
Billy Harper,tenor sax
Cecil Bridgewater,trumpet
Calvin Hill,bass
Max Roach,drums
01. It's Time [M.Roach] (11:28)
02. Call Of The Wild And Peaceful Heart [B.Harper] (10:53)
03. Mr. Hi Hat (Papa Jo) [M.Roach] (03:25)
04. Six Bits Blues [O.Cadena] (08:49)
05. Scott Free [C.Bridgewater] (14:06)
06. 'Round About Midnight [T.Monk] (05:26)
07. South Africa Goddam [M.Roach] (04:15)
08. Calvary [Traditional] (13:54)
09. Effi [S.Cowell] (12:04)
10. As Long As You're Living [M.Roach] (07:19)
11. Cherokee [R.Noble] (09:58)
Total Time 1:41:42
As announced in the previous post, here is the final entry in the Trio discography. Nominally the third, if one discounts "Conflagration" which was not strictly speaking a Trio record, though with the Trio at its core. We have posted the first double album which has been reissued on cd and the "Live in Altena" which had a limited circulation back then and has not been officially rereleased.
This one was out on the Ogun label in 1987, 16 years after its being recorded in the Tangerine Studios in London. There's a misprint on the back sleeve saying it was recorded in 1979, but by then the Trio had long disbanded. It was remastered at the Rainbow Studios in Olso in 1986. This studio was reguarly used for ECM recordings and by then John Surman had pretty much shifted to ECM as his main outlet. So it is more than likely that Surman had kept the master tapes and asked the studio to do a remastering job on them. But ECM didn't release them.
Six pieces on this record:
Side 1
Flyover (John Surman)
Open Brown (Barre Phillips)
Side2
Utah, Oregon (Stu Martin)
Noninka (Stu Martin)
Cant (Barre Phillips)
In The Round (Martin, Phillips, Surman)
Stu Martin - drums
Barre Phillips - double bass
John Surman - baritone and soprano saxes, bass clarinet, cornet
As the other Trio records, this is very much a collabarative effort with composition credits liberally divided among the three. This one has the novelty of hearing Surman on the cornet. I'm not sure if this was a one-off thing, because I can't recall Surman playing cornet regularly later. On other tracks, he switches to bass clarinet and soprano sax, though it's the baritone that is his main instrument throughout. Moodwise, it shifts from ferocity to placidity, with Stu Martin supplying the former and Barre Phillips the latter, at least to these ears.
The final three pieces pieces on the second side pretty much run together, so I haven't put in track markers. It's fairly easy to hear the transition points as Surman picks up another instrument to head into the next tune. For more details, please consult the extensive liner notes by Charles Fox on the back of the sleeve, attached to this post.
Up next: The Berlin Jazztage 1969 concert
Probably more known for his job in the David S.Ware Quartet, Shipp
confirms, with his new trio, of being among the more interesting
contemporary pianists.
Rec. live in S.Anna Arresi, Italy, on September 2, 2009
(radio broadcast)
Matthew Shipp,piano
Michael Bisio,bass
Whit Dickey,drums
1. Track #1 (54:49)
A wonderful Trio that didn't left (at my knowledge) any official
recording and, most of all, the pleasure of listening, one more time,
to the Great Peter Kowald.
Rec. live at "Teatro Cristallo", Milan, Italy, on March 23, 1979
(mix recording)
Evan Parker,tenor & soprano sax
Peter Kowald,bass
Paul Lytton,percussion
1. Improvisation (55:30)
2. Encore [inc.] (07:27)
Total Time 1:02:58
In 1997, a live version of "Escalator Over The Hill", re-orchestrated
by Jeff Friedman, was performed for the first time in Cologne,
Germany, then, in July 1998, "the Escalator" toured Europe :
this recording was made at the "Umbria Jazz Festival".
In comparison with the original recording, here are missing track 1
"Hotel Overture" and track 19 "Little Pony Soldier".
Rec. live at "Teatro Turreno", Perugia, Italy, on July 13, 1998
(radio broadcast)
Carla Bley,conductor
Paul Haines,narrator
Phil Minton/Lindsey Richardson/Syd Straw/David Moss/Linda Sharrock, vocals
Baikida Carroll/Guy Barker,trumpets
Gary Valente/Richard Edwards/Adrian Lane/Roger Williams,trombones
Wolfang Pusching,alto sax,flute,vocal
Andy Sheppard,tenor sax,vocal
Julian Arguelles,baritone sax,bass clarinet,vocal
Pamela Attariwala,violin
Karen Mantler,keyboards,vocal
Steve Lowther,keyboards
Brad Shepik,guitar
Steve Swallow,electric bass
Dennis Mackrel,drums
Ramesh Shotham,percussion
01. This Is Here... (04:25)
02. Like Animals (01:29)
03. Escalator Over The Hill (05:01)
04. Stay Awake (01:34)
05. Ginger And David/Song To Anything That Moves (04:33)
06. EOTH Theme/Businessmen (04:22)
07. Ginger And David Theme (0:47)
08. Why (02:30)
09. It's Not What You Do (0:21)
10. Detective Writer Daughter (03:35)
11. Doctor Why (01:22)
12. Slow Dance/Smalltown Agonist (06:54)
13. End Of Head (0:57)
14. Over Her Head (02:48)
15. Oh Say Can You Do ? (01:04)
16. Holiday In Risk (03:18)
17. Holiday In Risk Theme (0:52)
18. A.I.R. (All India Radio) (07:08)
19. Rawalpindi Blues (15:59)
20. End Of Rawalpindi (06:53)
21. End Of Animals/...And It's Again (12:00)
Total Time 1:28:01
Someone would someday ask me: where is the "lym002" recording?
Here is the answer:
http://luckypsychichut.blogspot.com/2009/06/two-foot-yard-lugano-20090316.html
One of my favourite band around in the last years. Keep it loud.
SEE YOU LYM
This is for kinabalu and his collection of Portal's recordings.
Rec. live at "Teatro Piscina", Genoa, Italy, on July 20, 1999
(mix recording)
Michel Portal,soprano sax,bass clarinet,bandoneon
Bojan Zulfikarpasic,piano
1. The Joker (Sacem) (16:25)
2. Voyage (06:38)
3. James (06:09)
4. Mozambique (07:37)
5. De Petiot (08:03)
6. Intranquiero (14:13)
7. Barouf (05:36)
8. Solitudes (02:44)
9. Mutinerie (03:03)
Total Time 1:10:31
Hi to everyone here!
A Venerable Old Master...
Rec. live at "Cinema Lumiére", Pisa, Italy, on November 1,
2009 (radio broadcast)
Fred Anderson,tenor sax
Junius Paul,bass
Avreeayl Ra,drums
01. Track #1 (35:21)
A brief recording made during the 1976 edition of
"Umbria Jazz", the day after Don played with Sam
Rivers in Villalago (Black Africa! Villalago - Horo Records).
Rec. live at "Umbria Jazz '76", Castiglione del Lago (Perugia),
Italy, on July 23, 1976 (radio broadcast)
Don Pullen,piano
1. Richard's Tune (10:04)
2. Joycie Girl (09:36)
3. Suite (Sweet) Malcom (09:18)
4. Big Alice (08:50)
Total Time 37:49
All compositions by D.Pullen
Here's an item I've been hunting for quite a while and finally managed to get on a cd-r, sourced from the LP above. This is the Trio, which made two albums for Dawn records during their comparatively short life span, this one which was only out in small quantities, I believe, and a fourth one, which I'll come back to later. Any guesses?
The Trio was probably John Surman's freest moment, and after this burst, went quiet and released "Westering Home", radically removed from the Trio, and drawing upon musical memories during his childhood in the southwest in England. His lyrical side has been much more to the fore in later releases than in this explosive, no holds barred frenzy of reed overdrive. This is not to deny that there are not quieter moments on this fine recording.
To me this is one of the highlights of John Surman's prodigious output, if not the highlight. We've posted the Trio before as well as the SOS project with Mike Osborne and Alan Skidmore. Do look up Michel Portal's "Alors" which has Surman dueting with Portal and the ret of the Trio. In the top rank of European free jazz, no questions asked. Barre Phillips and Stu Martin provide the tightly knit environment of three-fold impro. It's a bit of a misnomer to call this album John Surman Trio as the group pretty much was leaderless, though one may guess it was for marketing purposes.
Five pieces on this album, though they run very much together. Three of the pieces were first featured on the first Trio album, so listening to this one and the first Trio, I suspect it runs something like this:
Side A:
Billy the Kid (Martin)
Tallness (Surman)
Dee Tune (Surman)
Side B:
In Between (Surman)
Spikenard (Phillips)
John Surman (bs,ss, cl)
Barre Phillips (bs)
Stu Martin (ds)
Recorded on 10.1.1970 in Altena, Westfalen.
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